The Golf Coast Standard

Downtown Darien,Christmas in CT. Darien Real Estate and Homes

Thought all of you who are thinking of moving here, would like a little taste of Christmas Darien,CT style. Attached is a spot TV ad showing some of our great retail shops. Its a  zip file so it’ll take a minute to open.Ill figure out how to shorten the download. If anyone knows how,please let me know.

 

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/778806708/4ca97162f27aa293f4eba32f4a2beb6c

Please leave a comment.

Darien Homes for Sale, First Time Homebuyers Credit Expansion

On November 6, the President signed into law an expansion and an extension of home buyer tax credits. ”First Time” home buyers received an extension of the $8,000 tax credit until April 30, 2010 and had the qualifying income limits increased to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for joint tax filers. This represents a  significant increase from the $75,000 and $150,000 (respectively) earning limits previously in force.This now allows those buyers who are interested in homes for sale in Darien,CT to enter the market. 

Unfortunately, the initial impact of the incentives may  be to dampen demand by “First Time” home buyers as they can take more time to close on a home. However, it is our belief that the expansion of the income limits will eventually bring more new buyers into the market during this period.

With little fanfare, the US Government also provided a new $6,500 Tax Credit incentive for “Repeat” home buyers.  This program is also designed to bring more buyers into the market. This could incent those looking to buy in Darien from surrounding towns and communities or trade up from condos.  The basic qualifications are as follows:

Income Limits: $125,000 (single); $225,000 (joint)
Primary Residence: The buyer must have lived in the prior residence for 5 consecutive years of the last 8-years.  The new residence must be the primary residence for at least three years prior to selling it again.
Home Price Limitation: The home purchased must be $800,000 or lower in price.
Deadline: The home purchase agreement must be in ESCROW before April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010.

Please leave a comment.

The Darien Times Loves www.thegoldcoaststandard.com….

In case you missed it, The Darien Times published a very complimentery article about www.thegoldcoaststandard.com

•      “(Karen) strives to represent the community through a variety of voices.”
•       (She)” jumped into the void and encourages dialogue with her readers
•       The site is far from a series of self serving proclamations and listings….

Toot Toot…..thats me blowing my own horn!

Please leave a comment.

Darien Home Sellers- Free Neighborhood Video of Your Listing

Is your agent doing all they can to market your home on the Internet? Are they still using pretty postcard websites and waiting for the phone to ring ?

Isn’t your location or neighborhood in Darien,CT  a big part of what is going to sell your home? Of course. But Google Maps or interior videos won’t convey a feel for how special Darien,Ct homes and its’ neighborhoods are.

If you wish to market your Darien home, and have a technological edge on the competition,let me produce a video of your home, street or neighborhood. I can post it on You Tube,various websites or just send it to prospective buyers. It’s your call.

This market DEMANDS  inspired and unconventional methods for making your property stand out.

I can help you with that.

Contact me at kmbrewer2@aol.com or 203-554-0951.

Please leave a comment.

Tags: Darien video, Neighborhoods

Darien Homes for Sale, Weekly Market Report, November 12,2009

Please leave a comment.

Darien Homes for Sale-Free,Custom Neighborhood Videos

Suppose you’re coming from out of town….thinking….just thinking of moving to CT or looking for a Darien home for sale. You’ve searched www.thegoldcoaststandard.com and have found a couple of houses you might like.

Do you want to pack up the baby, and drive to CT just to find that your Darien dream home is a chip shot from the highway or next door to the guy that hasn’t raked his leaves in ten years?  I wouldn’t.

As great as the Internet is, when it comes to real estate it still lacks one thing…. context.You can never tell if that  Darien home for sale is priced well because the sellers really need to move or because it’s in a compromised location. Perhaps you want a flat yard and this one is on a hill. Maybe you want to be close but not too close to neighbors. And you just can’t tell from the pictures.

That’s where video comes in. Email me here or at kmbrewer2@aol.comwith the property you’re interested in and I’ll shoot a video of the street or neighborhood for you. I’ll place the home in context to schools, shopping, train stations, whatever you like.

Just remember pictures don’t lie. But they don’t tell the whole truth either. I can help you with that.

Please leave a comment.

Hungry For a New Lunch Spot?.. Try “espresso Neat”..Downtown Darien,CT

Since opening in September, Espresso Neat has been serving the best coffee this side of Guatemala. But now great becomes even greater. Espresso Neat serves ready made sandwiches and salads too.

Salads include Roasted Beet with goat cheese,candied walnuts,and romaine with a white balsamic vinaigrette, a fresh Farmer’s Market Cobb, or for those who love the classics, a yummy Chicken Caesar.

Sandwiches are Curried Chicken Salad on whole wheat sourdough bread,Chickpea and Roasted peppers on olive sourdough or Roasted Turkey with lettuce, tomato and goat cheese on cranberry, pecan sourdough.

And speaking of turkey, Espresso Neat is bringing Sono Bakery to Darien,Ct. for the Thanksgiving holiday by offering pies available by pre order.They are $19.50 for a ten inch pie.

I’ve ordered Apple Crumb and Cranberry Pear but, you can also get Pecan and of course, Pumpkin.Pies can be picked up the day before Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving morning .

How Neat is that?

Please leave a comment.

Darien Weekly Market Report,November 5,2009 Darien Real Estate

Please leave a comment.

The Gold Coast Standard, 15 Minutes of Fame,Darien Real Estate and Homes

For those of you who do not live in the area or just missed the article published in the Darien Times on October 29,2009 about the Gold Coast Standard and its author,Karen Brewer of Sothebys International Realty in Darien, CT. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment »

Third Quarter 2009, Market Report ,Fairfield County CT.

Each quarter,Sotheby’s International Realty publishes a state of the real estate market if you will, for Fairfield County,CT and north through the Shoreline area. It is a comprehensive report and one you should read if you are considering buying or selling property in the area.

Data shows more strength in the shoreline areas, and most activity taking place in the entry level categories. Inventory has stabilized and the data suggests a bottoming out of the market in Fairfield County.

 

http://www.wpsir.com/u/marketReports/wpsir/rp_2.pdf

Please leave a comment.